Folk song on slavery hits a sour note

Detroit-area school district pulls tune from program.

Detroit-area school district pulls tune from program.

November 15, 2005

BERKLEY, Mich. (AP) - A song about people picking cotton has been pulled from a middle school concert in suburban Detroit after a parent complained that it glorifies slavery. Superintendent Tresa Zumsteg decided on Monday morning to remove the song "Pick a Bale of Cotton" from the program, said Gwen Ahearn, spokeswoman for the Berkley School District. Ahearn said that when the song was picked for a folk songs concert at Anderson Middle School, there was no intent to offend anyone. "As it became apparent that that is the case, we pulled the song," she said. The song's lyrics include, "Jump down, turn around, pick a bale of cotton. Gotta jump down, turn around, Oh Lordie, pick a bale a day." Parent Greg Montgomery said he complained to school officials, and when he was dissatisfied with their response, decided to pull his 11-year-old daughter China from singing. "It's mind-boggling that people don't understand sensitive issues," he told The Detroit News. China said: "They were bringing back the memories of how African-Americans picked cotton, and it wasn't a good memory. It was disrespectful to African-Americans." Ahearn said there's nothing derogatory in the song's lyrics, but the district did not want China to miss the concert. "For her family and the school district, the best thing was to pull the song," she said.